Immediately following your personal injury claim, you must seek out medical care. This should be regardless of whether you notice any injuries or feel any pain, as there are great consequences for declining this. Continue reading to learn what happens if you initially deny medical care and how one of the experienced Panama City personal injury attorneys at Manuel & Thompson, PA can work on your claim.
What happens to my claim if I initially deny medical care?
If you want a better chance at having a successful personal injury claim, then you must not deny medical care. This is because, as the plaintiff of a claim, you are responsible for collecting evidence that immediately connects your injuries to the fault of the defendant.
This is known as your burden of proof, and your initial medical bills and documents are essential for fulfilling this burden. So if the dates on your medical bills and documents are delayed in relation to the date of your accident, it may be all the more difficult to draw this connection.
What should I do immediately after my personal injury accident?
In your claim proceedings, you do not want any questions surrounding your injuries and their connection to your personal injury accident. With that in mind, it may be in your best interest to take the following approach immediately after your accident:
- Call a law enforcement officer to the scene of your accident, who will then dispatch an ambulance on your behalf.
- Take photos and videos of your injuries while still at the scene, alongside any hazards that may have contributed to your accident.
- Allow emergency first responders (i.e., EMTs and paramedics) to conduct an initial medical examination while still at the scene.
- Give your consent for emergency first responders to escort you to an ambulance that will transport you to the emergency room.
- Submit to further medical examinations and treatments by medical professionals in the emergency room.
What additional steps should I take in my medical care?
Once you follow the aforementioned procedures, you must begin collecting proof for your claim. This includes obtaining copies of your medical bills, test results, prescriptions, doctor’s notes, etc.
What’s more, you must follow the treatment guidelines that a medical professional has prescribed to you. This may entail attending routine physical therapy sessions, taking certain prescription medications, using certain handicap devices, etc. You do not want the defendant to argue that your injuries are not as severe as you had led on; or that you would have recovered from your injuries sooner if you followed your given treatment plan.
You must take your personal injury claim seriously. So pick up the phone and call one of the skilled Panama City personal injury attorneys. Someone at Manuel & Thompson, PA will be happy to answer.
